Dame Jilly Cooper on her show Rivals
BBC
Dame Jilly Cooper, 87, in the living room of her house in the Cotswolds
“Would you like a large drink?”
A visit to Dame Jilly Cooper’s house in the Cotswolds is everything you would hope it would be.
It’s just after midday, as displayed on the numerous clocks on the packed walls of her hall and living rooms. Almost every surface inch is taken up with art, family photos, framed cartoons or sporting memorabilia – including, rather unexpectedly, a signed Emile Heskey Liverpool shirt.
Despite the relatively early hour, the writer of some of the best-selling novels of the 1980s is keen to share the contents of her drinks cabinet.
She believes in providing old-school hospitality at the former 14th Century monks’ dormitory she has called home for more than 40 years, and where she lived with her husband Leo until his death in 2013.
Earlier, on the way into her village, we drove past a jodhpur-clad gent on a horse, who gave us a roguish, charming smile. He could have ridden straight off the pages of one of her Rutshire Chronicles books.
Her so-called “bonkbusters” – a term Dame Jilly does not like – were set in the world of the horse-owning, bed-swapping, countryside-residing upper classes.
“Low morals and high fences” is how she rather perfectly sums up the books. With their mix of sex and scandal, they were publishing sensations.
The second of the books, 1988’s Rivals, has just been adapted into an eight-part Disney+ series with an all-star cast including Aidan Turner, David Tennant, Danny Dyer, Victoria Smurfit and Emily Atack.
Disney+
Aidan Turner plays the 1980s TV presenter Declan O’Hara in the screen adaptation of Rivals
Dame Jilly served as an executive producer, which is why we have been invited to pay her a visit, although she does not want to claim credit for what she describes as an “absolutely wonderful” adaptation.
“How much of a say did I have? Not much,” she laughs, explaining that her grandson Jago was a runner on the production, so when she went visited the set, she was better known as “Jago’s granny”.
She suggested some changes, though.
“I did occasionally say, ‘No, I don’t think they should be jumping on each other quite so early in the story’ and things like that.”
‘Sex, drinking and parties’
Set in the world of 1980s TV, Dame Jilly is relieved that the most outlandish sensibilities and plotlines of Rivals have not been toned down for a more sensitive 2024 audience.
In the first episode, before even the opening credits, a pair of fully exposed male buttocks are on display during a “mile-high” sex scene on Concorde.
“That was not in the book,” she nods approvingly.
“It’s fun. It’s quite naughty too.” She pauses, before adding: “There is a lot of sex. In one episode they have every member of the cast coupled and fornicating for the next 20 minutes and all of that.”
Dame Jilly sounds rather shocked by what she saw. “Well, 87 is very old and you do forget about sex,” she offers by way of explanation.
When I ask her what in life makes her blush, she gives a rather surprising answer. “Books I wrote in the old days. Because I’m amazed at some of the things I wrote about. They are quite strong.”
It turns out that she is currently in the middle of re-reading Rivals to swot up ahead of more interviews about the show.
“Lots and lots and lots of sex,” is her review.
“The 80s really were the most fun time,” she muses.
“Masses of sex, masses of drinking, masses of parties. The younger generation all wish they had been born then.”
However, she’s quick to point out that one of the most non-MeToo-friendly aspects of the TV series, when an uninvited bum grope is used as a replacement for a chat-up line, wasn’t in the print version.
Disney+
Alex Hassell plays anti-hero Rupert Campbell-Black
There are many aspects of the 1980s for which she is nostalgic, in particular what she perceives as a major change in the dynamics of relationships.
“I think women are much tougher, much stronger and much more forthright. And I think men are much, much less macho. I mean, macho has gone. You are not allowed to be macho.
“Women are stronger and men are weaker, therefore there is not so much sexual desire between them,” is her summation.
She also believes there is another contributing factor to a decline in modern love lives.
“Everybody jogs. They get up in the morning, they jog all around the countryside for hours. They do exercises. That’s what they do now. They don’t have sex any more. They are far too tired to have sex now. Jogging is bad for people’s love life. Ruinous.”
Back in the 1980s, the idea of Jilly Cooper teaming up with Disney would have seemed as likely as Rivals being chosen for Jackanory.
There is no doubt that she’s thrilled by the collaboration.
“I loved Disney as a child. Passionately. Dumbo, Bambi.”
PA
Dame Jilly Cooper was made a Dame by King Charles in May
In previous adaptations of her work, Dame Jilly was not happy with the casting of “the handsomest man in England” Rupert Campbell-Black, the fictional former Olympian and future Conservative MP, notorious for his conquests in the boardroom and the bedroom.
This time, the part has gone to the English actor Alex Haskell, who starred in His Dark Materials. In Rivals, he is seen without any material at all, courtesy of a nude tennis scene.
“They interviewed 600 people for that one,” reveals Dame Jilly, who was delighted with the final choice, despite some obvious differences to her literary creation.
“He’s very handsome. Rupert’s blond-haired and blue-eyed in the book, but he’s become dark and dark-eyed. But he’s very sexy.”
Further details about her main character are explained during a walk with Dame Jilly through her large garden, as she points out the view over a valley, which inspired the literary location of his mansion.
She also guides us to small two-storey outbuilding, gently announcing: “I wrote Rivals in there. Above a room with all the garden tools. It was very quiet.”
The only hard part about interviewing Dame Jilly is trying to stop her continually asking her own questions, such is her enthusiasm and interest in every aspect of life.
She reveals that until Rivals she had never heard of Danny Dyer (“he’s lovely, quite shy”), the aspect of modern life which most frustrates her is inheritance tax, and she is not a fan of the concept of internet dating (“awful”).
PA
Dame Jilly Cooper pictured at the premiere of Rivals earlier this month
She also enjoyed looking back at a busy year, which has included having a damehood bestowed on her by King Charles.
It turns out he used the occasion to pass on some betting tips. “He laughed and said, ‘By the way, if you are going to Ascot, we’ve got some rather good horses’.”
There was also an invitation to Downing Street by the then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who had revealed himself to be a fan of her books. “He was lovely,” she enthuses.
“The King. A prime minister. I’ve got about a bit,” she giggles. “There was me saying I never meet men any more.”
One thing she will not be doing is writing anymore Rutshire Chronicles: “No, I think Rupert’s old enough now.”
However, this TV version of Rivals, only goes up to halfway through the novel, so if successful, the plan would be more seasons.
“I hope so, yes,” she beams. “That would keep us all very happy for the next few years.”
We are invited to take a seat at the kitchen table, followed by an offer of cakes and more suggestions of stiff drinks.
When I ask if a cup of tea could be an alternative, a look combining disappointment, disapproval and pity comes over her face.
Once again, modern man has let Dame Jilly Cooper down.
Rivals is on Disney+ from 18 October.
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